Rabbi Jan Rosenberg

Up Close & Personal

Rabbi Jan Rosenberg has been actively involved in the Messianic Jewish movement for well over 40 years. On January 6, 1993, he and his wife Marlene came to Beth Zion with a wide range of ministry experience including 16 years as members of the internationally known Messianic singing group, Kol Simcha (Hebrew for Sound of Joy). They were also members of Congregation Beth Yeshua in Philadelphia, PA for nearly 20 years, serving in various leadership capacities.

Jan was born and raised in a Conservative Jewish home in northern New Jersey. In his high school years, he and his brothers began to move towards a more observant Jewish lifestyle.

In his quest for an intimate personal relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Jan found himself deeply involved in a powerful series of unusual events that ultimately led him to the realization that Yeshua was indeed the long awaited Messiah of his people.

After coming into a knowledge of Messiah in 1971, in a black Pentecostal Church in North Philadelphia (this was definitely not Hillel House!), Jan discovered the importance of being immersed in the Scriptures. Eighteen months later, he attended Bible School, where he received basic biblical training and learned more clearly the reality of God’s unconditional love.

In 1975, Jan moved back to Philadelphia, where he began to attend Congregation Beth Yeshua. That same summer, while attending Messiah ’75, a clear vision of Messianic Judaism was deeply sown into his heart.

After years of intensive personal study, and Messianic Yeshiva courses, Jan received his full smikhah (ordination) as a Messianic Rabbi through the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations & Synagogues (IAMCS) towards the end of the 1990s. His humorous, heart oriented delivery has made him a popular conference speaker for the past several years.

Jan has written the very popular Passover Trilogy Messianic Haggadah, (in English and Spanish), and started the Lashon Hara-Free Zone button campaign (to stop gossip, slander and the evil tongue). He has also published the Word As A Way of Life Bible Reading Program, with his brother David (Messianic Rabbi of Congregation Shuvah Yisrael in East Wiliston, NY).

In 1982, Jan started his own graphic design and print brokerage business. Over the years, Tovah Publications has produced many books, brochures, catalogs, calendars, album covers, and a variety of printed materials for businesses and ministries.

Jan is also an accomplished singer/songwriter, and since coming to Beth Zion, has produced seven musical CDs, as well as several music videos. With a wide-ranging gift for musical storytelling, he shares the truth of Yeshua through Jewish eyes in word and song (available at iTunes and RabbiJan.com).

Rebbitzen Marlene Rosenberg

Marlene Rosenberg was born and raised in a traditional-Jewish home in the Midwest.  With a grandmother from Minsk who made the Czar’s hit list as a revolutionary, it’s no wonder Marlene has always been an independent thinker and a tenacious seeker of truth.  As a youth, her study of the Scriptures enriched her love of Judaism and increased her desire to know the God of our people even more.

During her college days, after having studied the Messianic prophesies contained within the Tanakh, Marlene was confronted with a problem.  She intellectually understood Yeshua was indeed the Messiah, but was uncomfortable in the local church environment she was invited to.  After deciding it was impractical to start her own religion with herself as the sole member.  She was invited to visit a Messianic Jewish Synagogue by a wonderful non-Jewish believer who had a love and zeal for her Messiah.  In the comfort of a culturally familiar setting, she found she was not the only Jew in the whole world who believed this way.

In 1975, she moved to Philadelphia to be a part of Congregation Beth Yeshua and then the singing group, “Kol Simcha” (Hebrew for Sound of Joy) where they traveled all over the United States & Canada, Israel & Moscow.  One of the unique fringe benefits of singing with Kol Simcha for 16 years was meeting and marrying her husband, Jan in 1980.

Over the years, Marlene’s growth and maturity in her relationship with the Lord established her as a speaker at conferences, women’s retreats and other formats.  She helps lead our Thursday night Connections Class. She also serves as Beth Zion’s Coordinator, as well as one of the worship leaders.

Marlene is one of the founders of the Beth Zion Women’s Retreat which ran every year from 2005 to 2017.  This inclusive, inspirational and transparent retreat hosted women from 23 Messianic synagogues from more than 10 states.